Global Marketing and Economic Development

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — June 7, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced two important new partnerships to help bring social and economic opportunities to people in Africa through the benefits of technology. The agreements were signed at the first subregional Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Best Practices Forum for West and Central Africa, an event created as part of a collaboration among Microsoft, Burkina Faso, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to discuss ways to improve using information and communication technology for economic and social development across Africa.

“The world has entered an era in which access to the sources of information and knowledge has become a decisive factor in competitiveness and economic growth,” said His Excellency Blaise Compaoré, the president of Burkina Faso. “In the face of the digital divide that threatens to increase the marginalization of developing countries, we must step up the introduction of electronic communication infrastructures to seize the opportunities offered by new technologies. This forum is an occasion for African governments, their advisory institutions and ICT experts to share their experiences so that we can build an inclusive information society to serve the sustainable development of our countries.”

The agreements announced at the forum include the extension of Microsoft’s work with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to develop an environmentally responsible and localized computer refurbishment program that would benefit small and midsize businesses in Africa, and the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Burkina Faso to provide ICT training for civil servants in Burkina Faso, as well as support for broader online government initiatives.

“Technology in all its forms has tremendous potential to connect communities and facilitate healthy, sustainable economic growth,” said Dr. Cheick Diarra, Africa chairman for Microsoft. “The partnerships and progress made at this ICT Best Practices Forum are helping the expansion of the African IT sectors and ultimately increasing technological competitiveness for Africa. At Microsoft we have made a commitment through Unlimited Potential to work closely with governments to help local economies develop and compete in the global marketplace and provide technology that is relevant, accessible and affordable.”

Global Marketing

REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. today announced the appointment of Jeff Bell as the new corporate vice president of Global Marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business, reporting directly to Peter Moore, corporate vice president for the overall Interactive Entertainment Business, effective June 12, 2006. The Interactive Entertainment Business includes the Xbox^® and Games for Windows^® businesses and is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division. Bell joins Microsoft from DaimlerChrysler, where most recently he served as vice president of product strategy for the Chrysler Group.

“Jeff brings a unique mix of consumer experience and innovation to the Interactive Entertainment Business,” Moore said. “His accomplishments at DaimlerChrysler, including the creation of its owner loyalty program, his track record in driving automotive video game strategies, and his influence on urban marketing plans, are indicators of his expertise and leadership.”

Bell holds a master’s degree in international economics from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. As an innovator in brand marketing at DaimlerChrysler, Bell led the launch of the Dodge “Grab Life by the Horns” tag line and its associated advertising, including the Hemi campaign and the Dodge and Aerosmith music alliance. He drove the formation of other key strategic alliances including Jeep and HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” Jeep and “Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life,” and Chrysler, Hypnotic and Universal Pictures, which created the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival. Bell also pioneered new approaches to urban marketing, providing multicultural agencies with greater opportunities in the geal market arena.

Marketing Plan

Marketing and Demographics

I will discuss a few ways Microsoft is marketing to minorities and other demographics. Microsoft is offering its Office Ultimate Suite of products to students at 12 black colleges and universities and members of Hispanic student organizations for $59.95 (a 91% discount from the product's $679.95 regular price) through a program it's calling the Ultimate Steal Promotion.

The company will also donate a dollar from each sale -- as offered through a special URL -- to student organizations registered with the company.

Here is a few tips of how Microsoft markets and appeals to minorities and demographics especially the Generation Y, also known as Echo Boomers or Millennials.

1. Make your products cool for the kids as well as their parents. "Offer pop clothes at good prices with a brand that will appeal to 30- to 50-year old soccer moms and dads but that Gen Y is not loathe to adopting," Cooper says.

2. Exploit contests and promotions. "Gen Y is unbelievably enthusiastic about winning free concert tickets or cars or ski weekends," he

says. "Marketers need to generate teen excitement with radio and mall tie-ins, advertising, discounting, promotional kiosks — anything that's cool and has cachet."

3. Become "hip." "You have to be present where teenagers want to spend time, in skateboard parks, at concerts,

in malls.

You need to balance the benefits of attracting the younger market against the difficulties of embracing alternative business principles."

After that, you need to get a handle on how Gen Y makes buying decisions. Like teens before them, Gen Y relies on peer recommendations.

Social Responsibility

Social Responsibility or Profits


In this blog i will be discussing "Corporate Social Responsibility" of Microsoft Inc. I will discuss a particular case in which Microsoft's Corporate Social Responsibility is questioned. The question which remains to be highly opinionated is, whether Microsoft intentionally violated Anti-Trust Laws or was Microsoft so good at creating and marketing their products they over shadowed competitors dominantly and the result were these accusations.

The case went to trial in the U.S. District Court, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson found Microsoft guilty of using its domination in the software market to restrict competition. Judge Jackson then ordered the company to be broken into two and undergo restrictions. The court found that Microsoft abused anti-trust laws designed to protect competing companies from the domination of monopolies. For instance, it was said that Microsoft delayed the installation of Windows 95 on IBM computers when IBM refused to drop its own operating system. It was also said that Microsoft forced its internet explorer on consumers by bundling it with its Windows operating system, instantly claim half of the browser market share once dominated by Net Scape Navigator. Many social investors,business persons,consumers and economist have questioned Microsoft social responsibility after the ruling. After all, technically they were declared not socially responsible because of the Judges ruling. That doesn't mean they were, Microsoft is appealing the guilty verdict and says they will be vindicated.

If the Appeals Court agrees with Judge Jackson's order to break Microsoft into "Baby Bills" and disclose company intellectual property to break its monopoly, many shareholders will be questioning the future viability of their investment. But whatever course the antitrust case takes, social investors have to ask themselves if Microsoft's behavior, as determined in a federal court, befits a leader in corporate responsibility. Basically what this says is, if Microsoft has to disclose intellectual property, it will create more competition, there for the companies stocks and products may be in danger. This will bring less money to the company and ultimately less money to the share holders because of new competition. Microsoft has been a staple of the socially responsible investment industry, considered a leader for its progressive employment practices, its environmentally benign products, and its charitable donations. For instance, Microsoft recently granted $260,000 in cash and $2.5 million in software to eight Native American colleges, lunch money to a company that net almost $8 billion last year, but still a significant social impact.

Wrong or Right? Great marketing or Technological Tyrant? That is the question.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF MICROSOFT

Microsoft Inc... Strengths,Weakness,Opportunities, and Threats



Microsoft the world renowned computer giant will be compared, contrasted and broken down into a S.W.O.T. Analysis. Microsoft greatest strength is that it is a huge global brand, one of the worlds largest software developers with a customer base of 30 million plus. It has a reputation of successful software development which enables Microsoft to have a healthy set of loyal customers. Microsoft has a strength in the Operating System Market Place, desktop market place where it has dominated for years.

A weakness that Microsoft has that effects it greatly is, that the company is so big and successful it has been frequently sued by the U.S. Department of Justice and the 50 states. Microsoft has been accused of Anti-Trust Violations. The accusations against them was that Microsoft abused its monopoly power, in the selling operating systems and web browsers. Microsoft lacks a solid client and service support center on the internet. They also had issues with compatibility with other hardware and software manufactured by other companies.


The primary threat of Microsoft in the operating system industry is the Linux Program developed by independent programs. The program is gaining popularity and has a high number of customers due to the fact of it being free and works effectively.

The opportunities Microsoft has capitalized off of was the move to the Chinese Market, by producing computer programs based on the Chinese language. Microsoft has also diversified its products, In recent years they have ventured into fields such as game design,game developing, and publishing game consoles such as the world famous Xbox 360.

Do you know of any threats,weaknesses,strengths, or opportunities Microsoft should be aware of?

Strategic Planning

Xbox 360

Microsoft's Bill Gates unveiled a strategic plan tosell and distribute their new game console "the Xbox 360 " the sequel to the Xbox. The xbox 360 has many upgraded technological advances such as a gaming market place, online availability to play games and order movies,tickets,live chat etc.The new system will allow you to rip music to the hard drive to use during games. Microsoft's strategic plan consisted of getting more than 70 companies to support the Xbox 360.The plan they devised was well thought out and organized. Their main goal was to create the future of gaming, and to work with the japanese game artist to pioneer new dimensions of creativity in video games. Microsoft struck a long term deal with Sega to form a strategic alliance to bring future versions of great Sega games to Xbox. Also part of the strategic plan was to obtain an alliance with NT Communications a major electronic company in japan. The plan was to build a broadband online gaming service for japan to outline a vision for online gaming, in which gamers can connect to a high-speed , high band width, always on game network. One of the major of components of the plan was an Xbox japan division.

Microsoft Today " A 21st Century Giant"

21 st Century Giant


Today Microsoft has become a 21st Century Giant in the Computer Technology Industry. It develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. Microsoft stands today with Bill Gates as Chairman and Steve Ballmer as CEO. Microsoft has an annual revenue of 60 billion, an operating income of 22 billion, a net income of 17 billion and assets totaling 72 billion. Microsoft employs over 93,000 people in over 100 countries. It is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures,licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. Its most profitable products are Microsoft Windows Operating System, and Microsoft Windows Office Suite. It also possesses footholds in other markets, such as the MSNBC cable television station, home entertainment products like the Xbox and Xbox360 which are profitable and popular around the world. Microsoft is on the the leading computer technology product and software provider in the United States. The company does so well that the founder Bill Gates is estimated to be worth over 40 billion dollars.


Bill gates makes 9 million per hour imagine that, how many you think would work for an hour then quit?

The History of Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft was founded in 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico by William "bill' Gates and Paul Allen. Bill gates dropped out of school to work with Paul Allen to start Microsoft. Then in 1979 they relocated to Redmond,Washington. The company was developed to sell basic interpreters for the Altair 8800,which was a computer with an 8 inch floppy disk system. Its first mission was to have a computer on every desk and in every home running Microsoft Software. In 1981, Microsoft became incorporated and its 16-bit operating system MS-DOS 1.0 is introduced in IBM's personal computer. The companies first international office was in Japan it was named ASCII Japan, that was founded in 1978. Then Microsoft went to add Steve Ballmer as CEO in 1981. Microsoft began to develop various programs and computer software and hardware over the next decade that would soon shape the world of technology , and Microsoft would become the leading computer service company of the world.


Where do you think it will be in the next 5 years? and what do you think would help them become stronger and more dominant?